By no means am I good enough to join the pro tour, but I am certain that at least 10 strokes every round can be attributed to circumstances other than my golf game. Here’s my list of the most annoying things that consistently occur while I’m trying to enjoy my round — please feel free to comment and add to the list.

• The Starter – unless they are informative and provide updates on various conditions, then it seems that their only job in the world is to look over your shoulder on the 1st Tee. It’s worse than standing at a urinal while there is a big line behind you; where’s the respect for people with stage fright?

• Range Balls - numerous courses have the unfortunate design where the driving range is positioned very close to one of the holes. I understand that this is typically the only way to fit the driving range onto the course, but it does not ease the burden of having to distinguish your ball from all the range balls. Sometimes it’s like finding a needle in a hay stack, and it’s just an unnecessary frustration.

• The Reverse Buzzer – can someone please explain to me why golf carts automatically produce this excruciating sound when you put them in reverse? You would think that we are driving tractor trailers on the course. It is so overly effective, that you know when someone on the complete opposite side of the course is driving backwards. Seriously, this noise is terrible.

• Ball Marks and Divots – this is just a simple matter of etiquette. How hard is it for someone to repair areas on the fairways and greens where they altered the conditions? I mean, it’s understandable to do a half-assed job raking sand at the beach, but everyone should help maintain the integrity of the putting surface.

• Cart Girls – now, I’m not complaining about the cart girls. Afterall, they provide the most crucial part of most rounds of golf — beer, food, cigars, etc. However, they are a HUGE distraction. If they are good looking, then you spend time trying to impress them, hit on them, tip them . . . anything and everything that ultimately takes away your focus from your round. Plus, if they’re not hot, then you are just pissed off that they are not good looking, and now you are playing angry. Cart Girls = a necessary evil.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 13th, 2008 at 3:06 pm and is filed under Playing the Game, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.